Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, History (Arts and Sciences)

My research explores the emotional resonance of the Kashmir dispute in South Asian politics. I trace the roots of this dispute back to the era of British imperialism when Kashmir was ruled by an Indian maharaja as part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. Even in those days, Kashmir enjoyed a reputation for beauty and grandeur, which perhaps explains why the princely state to which the region belonged was so often abbreviated as simply “Kashmir.” In premodern times, the region was a favorite vacation spot of the Mughal emperors, who enjoyed the cool mountain air and spectacular views of Kashmir's environment. When the British intervened directly in Kashmir from 1885-1925, partly in response to the devastating 1877-80 famine in Kashmir, they opened the region to a broad range of tourists. Like the Mughal emperors of yore, these tourists sought in Kashmir an escape from the heat of the lowland regions of India. British colonial policy toward Kashmir during these four decades of direct intervention was designed to accommodate the needs of primarily Western tourists. Today, Kashmir's physical allure remains as potent as ever, despite the region's all-too-frequent descent into political violence. My research explores how Kashmir evolved into a region whose landscapes and air, but not its inhabitants, came to matter to more powerful outsiders. This dynamic, which we still see today, developed during the British colonial era.

Committee: John Brobst (Advisor); Haley Duschinski (Committee Member); Assan Sarr (Committee Member); Alec Holcombe (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; History; South Asian Studies; World History